Barghouthi elected to Fatah central committee

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - The Palestinian political party Fatah rejuvenated its leadership at its first congress in 20 years, ousting many of the "old guard" dominant under the late Yasser Arafat, initial results showed on Tuesday.

But electing younger men to the Central Committee, including Marwan Barghouthi who is serving life in an Israeli jail and several security chiefs, will not bring instant change in the ability of Fatah's leader President Mahmoud Abbas to make peace with Israel -- or with Fatah's Islamist nemesis, Hamas.

"This is an unexpected result. It's a big change, a huge change," said Naser al-Kidwa, a nephew of Abbas's charismatic predecessor Arafat who also won a Central Committee seat.

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